From Feb. 1 to July 31, Blob Rock will be closed for raptor nesting. The closure may be shortened or lengthened depending upon additional information.

Previous: UPDATE: per K. Reid Armstrong Public Affairs Specialist/Community Liaison Boulder and Clear Creek districts Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland - as of 3/13/15 - the seasonal closure on Blob Rock has been lifted.

Seasonal closure in Boulder Canyon to protect nesting birds of prey

BOULDER, Colo.  To protect nesting golden eagles, the U.S. Forest Service will be implementing annual area closures in Boulder Canyon beginning Feb. 1, 2015. The closures include popular rock climbing spots at Eagle Rock, Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress and Security Risk in Boulder Canyon. These areas are located along Colorado Highway 119, approximately 1.5 miles east of Boulder Falls.

Effective through July 31, 2015, the closures protect a long-established golden eagle nesting territory. Happy Hour, Bihedral and Riviera will remain open as long as visitors stay out of the closed areas.

These closures allow the birds to choose a nest site without human disturbance. The chosen site remains closed until the eagles fledge in late July, but we typically reopen other parts of the area earlier, said wildlife biologist Bev Baker.

The Boulder Ranger District partners with the Boulder Climbing Community and the Access Fund to monitor nesting progress and to inform climbers about the importance of giving the eagles space to raise their young.

Federal and state laws prohibit disturbing any nesting bird of prey. Visitors can help protect wildlife by respecting all closures. Signs will be posted at key access points into the closed areas as well as at local climbing shops.

To get Boulder Ranger District updates by email, send a message to BRDvis@fs.fed.us .

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Eagle Rock, Blob Rock, Bitty Buttress, and Security Risk will close Feb. 1, [2017] until July 31, [2017] for raptor nesting. Depending on updated information, the closure time can be shortened or lengthened.

Each year, Boulder Canyon raptor nesting area closures are in effect starting February 1st through July 31st at Eagle Rock, Security Risk, Blob Rock, and Bitty Buttress. However, the area is monitored and closures are periodically lifted early (due to no active nest, nest site failure, or early fledging). This monitoring program is a partnership with the Forest Service Boulder Ranger District, Boulder Climbing Community, and Audubon Society. Check back periodically during times of closure for updates. More info at fs.usda.gov/recmain/arp/recrea....

This information is a public crowdsourcing effort between the Access Fund,
and Mountain Project.You should confirm closures, restrictions, and/or related dates.

Description

This is another route similar to the others up there and at a similar grade. This particular line starts as for the shared start of Crack Tack or Of Human Bondage.

Climb up and onto good edges and features just right of the first bolt of Crack Tack. A couple of large stoppers and a hand-sized cam can go behind a right-facing crack/flake here just before the bolt on Crack Tack. You can skip the bolt as it is slightly further left (and you are going right), and it will create slightly more drag. The gear is good anyway.

Continue up and slightly right on positive crimps and reasonably good feet. You will pass by the first of 2 bolts of 'Of Human Bondage' just to the left climbing perhaps as you might as for that route. You can clip this bolt as you will just left of it by a meter as you reach its height, but be sure to put on a long sling if you do. If you have clipped it, it may cause some minor drag. At this point, at the height of the bolt, having clipped it (or not), you head up and left on relatively easier moves to a point that intercepts the bottom of 2 parallel seams that run up and right towards the top of the wall. Just before reaching them, I found a small/medium stopper and small cam placement. These are more directly above the previous gear placements and will make a zig-zag of the rope if you clipped the bolt on 'Bondage Place this gear, regardless, as it will be the gear that keeps you off the deck in a fall. Head up and to the rightmost of the two parallel, leaning seams that go to the top of the wall. They offer no gear at first, but I cleaned some rock flakes and dirt out of a spot a few meters up these and got in a grey or purple (I chose the purple, but either would work) Mastercam. I presume a purple/black Alien would also work, but those are wider, and I am not sure. A ballnut might also fit and work as a back-up piece to the cam. You will see the second bolt of 'Of Human Bondage' perhaps 3 meters to your right. Continue up the seam you are in to get up into the tiny, left-facing offset, and take that up to the ledge as for 'Of Human Bondage.' Place a few pieces of gear before traversing to the anchors to protect your second and the rope from a nasty swing.

Location

This route takes a line primarily between 'Crack Tack' and 'Of Human Bondage', overlaps with the latter of these at the beginning, and may share a few moves and a bit of gear in the middle with the former. The seams up top were the primary target and have no documented history.

Protection

2 optional bolts that will offer security but create a zig-zag in the rope's line that may make the gear less secure. Plan a few large nuts, a 2-2.5" cam down low, a few small stoppers higher with a finger-sized cam, and then a very small (tips) cam and possibly a ballnut up in the top seam. A few pieces went in just prior to the traverse to the top anchors on 'A Hike for Y2K' to protect the second from a last-minute swing.

The route should be considered R/X like the majority of the routes on this wall. There is groundfall potential from non-crux moves if the belayer is not fully attentive, and much of the route depends on distant, and even very small gear, to prevent serious consequences.

A TR is possible from 'A Hike for Y2K's' anchors if you traverse left and set a directional.